Something Diabolical is Afoot

[aspen]

The Gospel based on love:

Christians are supposed to be free peoples; those who have the Spirit are supposed to be able to understand a simple gospel; we are called to love by Jesus and Paul and not to judge; worrying is supposed to be a thing of the past; traditions of men are over, the doctrine of love is here; and finally, Jesus is supposed to return in triumphant glory to lead the saints home.

Yet, this is the gospel of fear, the loudest Christians are preaching instead:

1. We must always be vigilant because we are constantly under attack by a defeated enemy.

2. The scriptures are difficult to understand - word studies are necessary - every English translated word in the Bible has the same meaning - no matter if it is used in Genesis or Revelation.

3. Anxiety over our own salvation is necessary to be saved - if we do not warn people all the time about their personal sin, we will be punished; if we are not watching for Jesus, we might be left behind; If we cannot answer another Christian's salvation checks, we may not really be saved; if our doctrinal understanding of Jesus doesn't match the meanest, loudest, crankiest curmudgeon of a Christian, we are worshiping the wrong Jesus; if the world shares any trait that looks Christian, it is a lie from Satan - love, peace, happiness, freedom, etc; if Christians encounter any practice that is shared by another religion, it is to be rejected completely as evil; and instead of being excited by the return of Christ, we are focused on the Tribulation.

4. Whether or not you share my belief that we were created to love, have forgotten how, and are being sanctified as Christians to love once more, all Christians should agree that loving God and neighbor is our primary command. In addition, it doesn't matter if you share my belief that we are called not to judge because we are incapable of doing so, Christians should agree that we are called not to judge. So, why do we justify our poor behavior? We not only spend the majority of our time judging others,we justify it by calling it something else, "defending the gospel", "exposing heresy", or "standing up for Jesus". By doing so, we reduce the gospel to a pissing contest between egos.

5. Our fascination with the Tribulation and the Last Judgment morph the triumphant return of Jesus; and when we do think about His return, we fall into the same trap as the Jewish people did - we make Him into an Earthly warrior, instead of a Troubadour of love.

We think we are so clever, exposing demonic forces in conspiracy theories and personal temptations - never stopping to think that the Devil has to be smarter than to waste his time fooling and personally temping people for the small amount of time he is free (by the way, he is actually in the state of Hell, already) to attack us. Don't you think he would try something a bit more crafty, like undermining the work of the Spirit on Earth by placing doubt in the minds of Christians? Influencing us to identify love as false? Giving us the idea that the scriptures need to be analyzed by our false selves so that we can spend our time 'one upping' each other rather than loving our neighbors? Getting us bogged down in doctrine and sending us on endless snipe hunts for the purest form of church and scripture, so that we will remain spiritual infants?

The fact is, the Spirit has been at work in our hearts since the Fall, constantly leading us home. The Kingdom of God is in our hearts and has been influencing the World throughout human history - how can it's affects not be evident in the world? We are free from guilt, shame and worry and called to love abundantly. We should be known as the most open-minded, loving people on Earth - a port in the storm for sinners. Yet, we are known for our pride, rather than our love. The charge of hypocrisy from the world comes directly from our witness of Pride.

Before you decide to charge me with attacking Christianity - take a look at yourself and determine where you are at in your walk with Christ and your witness. Realize I am not an enemy of the church, I am writing this in the spirit of the prophets.

 

[Prentis]

Brother, I agree with most of what you are saying, and I agree with the main point. I think we have given up the Gospel of Christ and taken on something of our own understanding. We have come a 'christianity' that worries about being saved when indeed Christ says that whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses it, he will save it. Christ has called us to glory... And we think of such small things as salvation, as if our worrying about it could change a single thing. We have taken the book of Revelation and used our own understanding to decided what will happen. Yet the Pharisees did the same, and when Jesus wasn't the Jesus they expected, they rejected him. We think our own understanding of scriptures is good.

I only want to touch on #1. Maybe you can help me better understand what you are saying. Or maybe we can help each other sort things out

1. We must always be vigilant because we are constantly under attack by a defeated enemy.

I agree that we shouldn't fear the enemy. But I do think we must watch and be carefull. I think we must look at the enemy knowing God is the king and he takes care of us. But I DO think we must be carefull. Christ has overcome, but have we? After all Christ does say in revelation 'to he who overcomes...'. I just think there is an aspect where we must follow suit now and fight now. The devil still rules over this earth. He is like a lion, prowling, looking for someone he might devour

There is a battle going on, a spiritual warfare, and we must know the enemy and his ways, that we might defeat him. As Paul says, we are not ignorant of the devils devices.

The Lord bless you brother

 

[aspen]

Brother, I agree with most of what you are saying, and I agree with the main point. I think we have given up the Gospel of Christ and taken on something of our own understanding. We have come a 'christianity' that worries about being saved when indeed Christ says that whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses it, he will save it. Christ has called us to glory... And we think of such small things as salvation, as if our worrying about it could change a single thing. We have taken the book of Revelation and used our own understanding to decided what will happen. Yet the Pharisees did the same, and when Jesus wasn't the Jesus they expected, they rejected him. We think our own understanding of scriptures is good.

I only want to touch on #1. Maybe you can help me better understand what you are saying. Or maybe we can help each other sort things out

1. We must always be vigilant because we are constantly under attack by a defeated enemy.

I agree that we shouldn't fear the enemy. But I do think we must watch and be carefull. I think we must look at the enemy knowing God is the king and he takes care of us. But I DO think we must be carefull. Christ has overcome, but have we? After all Christ does say in revelation 'to he who overcomes...'. I just think there is an aspect where we must follow suit now and fight now. The devil still rules over this earth. He is like a lion, prowling, looking for someone he might devour

There is a battle going on, a spiritual warfare, and we must know the enemy and his ways, that we might defeat him. As Paul says, we are not ignorant of the devils devices.

The Lord bless you brother

If we are focused on God, the enemy will flee. I think he enjoys making himself the focus.

 

[Prentis]

I agree we must not fuocus on him, I do think it is good to know his devices and be aware... All the while our hearts and eyes are on the Lord!

God bless you...

 

[goodshepard55]

Good post Aspen, I do think we need to be aware of the attacks by the enemy, but if we focus on him, then we are removing our focus off Jesus. Jesus is the only thing we should focus on and His word....As far as the Word of God, when we are Holy Spirit filled the Word speaks to us and we understand what God wants us to understand...Anxiety is an attack by the enemy...why worry or stress when we have the Most High God dwelling within us...Pray without ceasing in all things, good and bad...Praise God for the trials and tribulation we face each day, for they make us stronger in the long run...Loving God above all else, even family and love all mankind and all the rest is easy...but we do need to understand that God does not cause sickness, nor destruction, that is an attack of satan...when we blame God for the problems of the world and the destruction by earthquakes, hurricanes and such..we are playing into the enemies hands...Jesus has finished all that on earth...we are to pray for the kingdom to come on earth as in Heaven..and I am sure that destruction is not in Heaven....so we need to praise God for all the problems for He is our Savior and our salvation...we need to stop saying He is judging us on earth and stand by His Word that says....after Noah and the flood, there will be one last judgment at the Great White Throne....not before.....Love ya Aspen...you are an inspiration and make people think...

 

[FHII]

There is something diabolical going on, but it is replacing the Gospel of truth with the Gospel of love. They can coexist, but only if the truth comes first. Telling the truth and following the truth shows God's love. But showing love absent of truth is just flattery and being blind both spiritually and naturally.

The holy ghost is the spirit of truth ; not the spirit of love. God is love but love is not God. He's never called the God of love but he is called the God of truth.

 

[aspen]

There is something diabolical going on, but it is replacing the Gospel of truth with the Gospel of love. They can coexist, but only if the truth comes first. Telling the truth and following the truth shows God's love. But showing love absent of truth is just flattery and being blind both spiritually and naturally.

The holy ghost is the spirit of truth ; not the spirit of love. God is love but love is not God. He's never called the God of love but he is called the God of truth.

Love cannot exist without truth. And truth without love is legalism. Flattery is not love at all. The gospel is love - God showed us love by sending His Son, who told us to love God and our neighbors as ourselves. So did Jesus replace truth with love? Of course not! Love is the gospel!

1 John 4:8
Dear friends, let us love one another, for lovecomes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:12
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

1 John 4:16
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

1 John 4:20
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

 

[Prentis]

There is something diabolical going on, but it is replacing the Gospel of truth with the Gospel of love. They can coexist, but only if the truth comes first. Telling the truth and following the truth shows God's love. But showing love absent of truth is just flattery and being blind both spiritually and naturally.

The holy ghost is the spirit of truth ; not the spirit of love. God is love but love is not God. He's never called the God of love but he is called the God of truth.

Actually, I think it's the other way around.

The command of God is to love your neighbor and to love God. That is FIRST. Of course truth should not be neglected by the one who has it. Only it says 'speak the truth in love'. If you want to talk scriptures, love is not put as a second thing, that is important but could be neglected, it is put first and foremost, as it says, without love all our cries are nothing. Wouldn't seem accurate (as per Corinthians 13) that if I speak the truth without love, I am nothing? It doesn't mean that truth is worthless. But if our knowing of the truth has brought us to know God and to walk in his love, while bringing forth truth, what did we learn?

If a man does not know truth, but loves, he is like the good samaritan. If a man knows truth, but does not loves, then he holds the truth in unrighteousness.

God reveals his truth. We are fools to think we can own it as if it was a piece of land. It is his, and the revelation is his. If a man does not have it, it may simply be that God has chosen not to show him. We think we are great because God gives us much when indeed it simply means more is expected of us.

The church is the pillar of the truth. Only this cannot be said of the mainstream church. What the world knows as the church has, sadly, associated itself with the powers of this world. Instead of being conductors of eternal life, walking in a newness of life that completely contradicts the powers of this world, the 'church' has associated itself with the powers. The compromise of faith has resulted in the compromise of truth. The compromise of truth has resulted into quite the skewed doctrine.

Brothers and sisters, we are not to be yoked with this world. We are not to be setup as judges in this world between one institution and another, saying for example that 'democracy is correct, and communism is wrong' (or the opposite). Our kingdom is based on a different power than ANY institution of this world.

Blessings and love to all

 

[Duckybill]

There is something diabolical going on, but it is replacing the Gospel of truth with the Gospel of love. They can coexist, but only if the truth comes first. Telling the truth and following the truth shows God's love. But showing love absent of truth is just flattery and being blind both spiritually and naturally.

The holy ghost is the spirit of truth ; not the spirit of love. God is love but love is not God. He's never called the God of love but he is called the God of truth.

Your point was well proven by the immediate attacks on your post.

 

[Duckybill]

It might be well for us to define 'Gospel'.

gos·pel

noun
1. the teachings of Jesus and the apostles; the Christian revelation.
2. the story of Christ's life and teachings, especially as contained in the first four books of the New Testament, namely Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

http://dictionary.re...m/browse/gospel

So then, the Gospel would include:

Matthew 24:37-39 (NKJV)
37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Matthew 13:49-50 (NKJV)
49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

So, where is the love? The love is in God's warnings to all of us. Ignoring and denying God's warnings is the opposite of God's true love. It is hatred. And so, those calling God's Word 'myth' and 'contradictions' are in reality spewing hatred of God's love for us.

 

[aspen]

It might be well for us to define 'Gospel'.

gos·pel

noun
1. the teachings of Jesus and the apostles; the Christian revelation.
2. the story of Christ's life and teachings, especially as contained in the first four books of the New Testament, namely Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

http://dictionary.re...m/browse/gospel

So then, the Gospel would include:

Matthew 24:37-39 (NKJV)
37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Matthew 13:49-50 (NKJV)
49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

So, where is the love? The love is in God's warnings to all of us. Ignoring and denying God's warnings is the opposite of God's true love. It is hatred. And so, those calling God's Word 'myth' and 'contradictions' are in reality spewing hatred of God's love for us.

So what are the teachings of the NT? God loves us and we are required to love Him, based on His love for us. Those who do not submit their mind, heart, and strength to Jesus for justification, sanctification, and redemption are going to be unable to love and will have to be cut off.

 

[Duckybill]

So what are the teachings of the NT?

Repent or perish. There is no other choice.

 

[aspen]

Repent or perish. There is no other choice.

submit yourself to God's love, go out and share His love with your neighbor or continue to love yourself and be cut off.

 

[Duckybill]

submit yourself to God's love,

Scripture please.

go out and share His love with your neighbor or continue to love yourself and be cut off.

Scripture please.

I've given LOTS of Scripture.

 

[FHII]

Actually, I think it's the other way around.

The command of God is to love your neighbor and to love God. That is FIRST. Of course truth should not be neglected by the one who has it. Only it says 'speak the truth in love'. If you want to talk scriptures, love is not put as a second thing, that is important but could be neglected, it is put first and foremost, as it says, without love all our cries are nothing. Wouldn't seem accurate (as per Corinthians 13) that if I speak the truth without love, I am nothing? It doesn't mean that truth is worthless. But if our knowing of the truth has brought us to know God and to walk in his love, while bringing forth truth, what did we learn?

Yea Duckybill... Perfect example. Prentis, that is not the first commandmant and is exactly what I'm talking about. You took something and altered it slightly to put love on the same tier as truth. That's not what the scripture says, and it says something not entirely the other way, but leaning away from what you said.


Matt 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
v. 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
v.38 This is the first and great commandment.
v. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neigbor as thyself.

The first commandment is to love God. The second is like it, but it is separate and SECOND: love thy neighbor as thyself (not as you love God, but as you love thyself).

How do you love God? By hearing him, obeying him and learning of him. You worship in spirit (in heart and soul) and in truth (mind). Jesus said he is the Truth and Psalms called him the God of Truth. I was wrong, he is called the God of love and peace, but even then Paul just spoke about the importance of truth.

So, by saying "love your neighbor and God" is the first commandment, you've said something innaccurate in order to put love of neighbors equal to love of God (and truth). It's probably unintentional, but it's interesting that you put "neighbor" first and God second.

 

[Prentis]

I agree FHII. Loving God is first. I wasnt saying that loving our neighbor is FIRST, but rather to love God AND our neighbor is first. My bad for being unclear.

Only here's the thing, all things must be done in love, first to God, and then to our neighbor, even the speaking of the truth. If one man does not know the truth, it is good that he loves and doesn't pretend to know the truth, if a man does know the truth, it is good that he speak the truth in love.

I might not of understood your first post right. In which case I'm sorry

What I'm saying is this. It is good to love, even without truth (as long as we dont pretend to have truth). That's what the good samaritan does. If we DO have the truth, we must be carefull and wise, and speak it with love. Otherwise we are just speaking death.

 

[Duckybill]

Those who do not submit their mind, heart, and strength to Jesus for justification, sanctification, and redemption are going to be unable to love and will have to be cut off.

"Cut off"?

 

[FHII]

I don't know if it's a good idea to go over this original post with such a fine tooth comb, but here it goes.... I have a series of questions at the end (perhaps in another post) I'd like someone who believes "the gospel of love" to answer.

The Gospel based on love:

Christians are supposed to be free peoples;

Supposed to be? We are! We are free! Not entirely though... Paul said he was a prisioner of Christ, and he said we were the LORD'S free man.

those who have the Spirit are supposed to be able to understand a simple gospel; we are called to love by Jesus and Paul and not to judge;

That's the gospel?!? Yes we are called to love. Not to judge though? Sure its in Matthew 7:1 Yet 1 Cor 6 tells us to judge within our own Christian community and not go to the heathen for judgement. This is one of those "supposed contradictions" folks love to bring up to show the Bible isn't the final authority. However, There must be a deeper answer. How do we justify this? With love or with truth?

I could tell you my opinion on this and tell you how I understand these verses, but I would you (I'm not speaking to anyone in particular) listen? Or would you ahem.... Judge my answer?

worrying is supposed to be a thing of the past; traditions of men are over, the doctrine of love is here; and finally, Jesus is supposed to return in triumphant glory to lead the saints home.

Worrying is a thing of the past.... No supposed to be about it. Are we not to tarry on, then? I'll return to that point later. Traditions of men are over. True. The question of following traditions is interesting. Jesus spoke against traditions of men and his Apostles later said to continue the traditions they have been taught. It's not hard to see the answer, but which traditions should we follow and which should we discard?

So the doctrine of love is here. I intend to question this notion later... But what is this notion about Jesus being "supposed to" return in glory and lead saints? Supposed to? He already did! He has returned and I am home!


Yet, this is the gospel of fear, the loudest Christians are preaching instead:

1. We must always be vigilant because we are constantly under attack by a defeated enemy.

The gospel of fear???? Christians are preaching to be vigiliant and this is wrong? Well, there is a war going on. And it's really an unfair war. It's a fixed game. It's like a boxing match that the mob has already determined who's going to win. The winner has been pretermined, but the war is still on. The fight still has to be fought. God said we are going to win.

Hey, you can find many stories like this one in the OT.... Israel has always faced enemies "bigger and badder" them they were. God told his prophets, "Don't worry about it, I'm going to fight for you. I'm going to deliver you, I'm going to defeat them for you." YAY!!!! God's going to fight for us! We can sit back and do nothing! Yea.... Here's the problem, and it's kind of funny. God did tell Israel he was going to fight and win for them, but then he said, "Now get your men ready and go fight. You are going to fight, but I'm going to win!"

Well, when the nation of Israel believed him and followed the Generals orders, it happened! When they didn't follow the game plan, God blamed them and Israel lost!

Php 2:12 says to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Does it not? Yet Heb 10:22 tells us of a full assurance of faith. We have fear and trembling, and must work diligently in that full assurance and when we have that, all we have to do is fight the good fight and it's going to work out for our good. It seems good to me to be alarmed, be concerned but to also have faith that if I do what I am told, everythings going to be ok.



2. The scriptures are difficult to understand - word studies are necessary - every English translated word in the Bible has the same meaning - no matter if it is used in Genesis or Revelation.

Umm.... Huh? Who's saying that? This is another sneaky attack on the Bible from those who follow the spirit and don't want to believe the Bible. If you speak fluenant Greek, fluenant Hebrew and fluenant Arabic and have access to the Bible in those languages, I'll listen to you. However, I speak only English, my friend. In faith I believe God gave me a Bible (I use the KJV) to follow. Yea.... Through the efforts of men. But that's the way God works.

Are you saying that the Bible isn't difficult to understand? Cause when I read it, I don't get the feeling I'm reading about Dick, Jane and Spot. I do trust every English word of the Bible and I do analyze it. In faith I accept and believe that it was the method God speaks to me.

See... On the surface level, Jesus is going to appear wearing white sheets, he's going to have a tattoo on his thigh, and he's going to be riding a horse. Yea... Highly unlikely that Jesus is going to actually do that, yet if you want to believe that, ok.... Yet I analyze what the white sheets are, what the tattoo says and means and understand what God defines a horse to be (and it's not a 4 legged creature) I then know what's going to really happen. And it hasn't a thing to do with a guy wearing bedsheets with a tattoo charging into battle on a horse against a tank or a jet fighter plane.

3. Anxiety over our own salvation is necessary to be saved - if we do not warn people all the time about their personal sin, we will be punished; if we are not watching for Jesus, we might be left behind; If we cannot answer another Christian's salvation checks, we may not really be saved; if our doctrinal understanding of Jesus doesn't match the meanest, loudest, crankiest curmudgeon of a Christian, we are worshiping the wrong Jesus; if the world shares any trait that looks Christian, it is a lie from Satan - love, peace, happiness, freedom, etc; if Christians encounter any practice that is shared by another religion, it is to be rejected completely as evil; and instead of being excited by the return of Christ, we are focused on the Tribulation.

Wow... Christians who preach the loudest are cranky curmudgeons? That seems rather judgemental! They're mean? Anxiety is to our benefit. But we have full assurance of faith. We still have to fight the fight that's already been won. In one week, I have been through a lightening strike, an earthquake and a hurricane. Yet before the world was even formed I had a promise that I'd be ok. Yet, it still happened. I still had to worry about it and I had anxiety over it. Likewise, I have a promise of salvation. I was told personally by God's angels how to get it and how to weather the storm (Through the Bible).

4. Whether or not you share my belief that we were created to love, have forgotten how, and are being sanctified as Christians to love once more, all Christians should agree that loving God and neighbor is our primary command. In addition, it doesn't matter if you share my belief that we are called not to judge because we are incapable of doing so, Christians should agree that we are called not to judge. So, why do we justify our poor behavior? We not only spend the majority of our time judging others,we justify it by calling it something else, "defending the gospel", "exposing heresy", or "standing up for Jesus". By doing so, we reduce the gospel to a pissing contest between egos.

I do agree we are created to love.... We have forgotten how (yet we know all things, and our minds are being stirred up to remembrance). I am not however being sanctified. I am sanctified! Yes, ongoing process, but it is finished. I was declared and sanctified before the world was made. Again, I still am in the fight, but the battle has already been won. Satan knows this, but doesn't understand or comprehend it. That's why he's such a miserable little imp.

Loving God and our neighbor is not the primary command. Loving God is the primary command. I've shown this before. Now, who is my neighbor that I should love? Why should I love others? God doesn't love everyone. Why should I? Yea.... I said that! God does not love everyone and I will add he doesn't tell everyone the truth! God predetermined that some people are damned!

Do you think that's mean? Why? Are you one of those pretermined damned people? Is that unfair? You won't like it, but I have NT scripture to support all these notions.

Now who is my real neighbor and who should I love? It ain't the guy living next door to me. Though it could be. My neighbor is my brother. Those of like precious faith. Those who speak and believe the same thing. That's who I love. The Bible says I should tolorate everyone else and get along with them (for Christ's sake). But I love the brethren.

Now why? I truly believe Christ is in me. I am a little Christ. I am so bold to say this, but when you see me, you see a little piece of Jesus. On the surface you see the same sinful flesh that Jesus had (yea, Jesus lived in sinful flesh and check Romans 8 if you have doubts) but if you look at the inner man, everything I do lines up with God's word. Those things I don't do that line up with God's word, well.... That's not me. That's the sin in me. It's not me, but the sin in me. Yet I do nothing wrong. Yea... That's pretty simple to understand. That's the simple gospel of love. You need no explanation for that, do you?

5. Our fascination with the Tribulation and the Last Judgment morph the triumphant return of Jesus; and when we do think about His return, we fall into the same trap as the Jewish people did - we make Him into an Earthly warrior, instead of a Troubadour of love.

Tribulation and the Last Judgement... The morph.... The triumphant return of Jesus.... I got news for you... I am going trough tribulation now and being judged now. I won't be in this "Tribulation" or this "Last Judgement". I am going through it now. The damned will go through it. Not me. Judgement for me begins at the house of God. I am God's witness and I am one of the judges in that "Last Judgement". If not, I'm damned. It's a judgement, not a hearing. No one at the last judgement is pardoned. At that point, it's sentancing time.

I don't think about his return.... I am his return. Christ IN me! That's what the Bible says, that's what the Truth says, and that's what God says.

And by the way, don't you think you are being judgemental of those who preach warning? You said, "don't judge and love".... Are you not judging?

We think we are so clever, exposing demonic forces in conspiracy theories and personal temptations - never stopping to think that the Devil has to be smarter than to waste his time fooling and personally temping people for the small amount of time he is free (by the way, he is actually in the state of Hell, already) to attack us.

My, my... You give the Devil much credit, don't you? This idiot is desparate. Satan has been kicked out of Heaven and told he ain't going to win. Michael already kicked his rear end.... God listens to him and slaps him down... What else does he have to fight? He can do nothing else but attack us weak flesh beings. Yea, he's smarter than that.... But he has no other options. I'm smart enough to try to ride a bike through a river, but given no other options and knowing my fate if I don't try... I might try it.

Here's an interesting point... Should we love our enemy? Yea, the Bible tells us to. I am a republican. I don't like Barak Obama. I want him to do well, because like it or not, he's my President. I don't like George (a fictious person). He's mean to me, and doesn't like me. He's mean to me. Do I love them? Well, no. Are they my enemy? Not really. So do I love my enemy? Well Satan is my enemy. Should I love him? How many of you love Satan, and how many of you believe he's your enemy?


Before you decide to charge me with attacking Christianity - take a look at yourself and determine where you are at in your walk with Christ and your witness. Realize I am not an enemy of the church, I am writing this in the spirit of the prophets.

Ok. You are writing in the spirit of the prophets. David, being a prophet, pissed people off. Isaiah pissed people off. Jeremaiah offended people (do you like that term more that "pissed people off"?) Malachi pointed the finger at people and judged them and offended people. John the Baptist called the holyiest people hypocrites. Jesus offended people. Paul, John and Peter offended people. Yet your message is of love and not to judge and by implication, not to offend people. Yet, you are pissing me off so maybe you are writing in the same spirit of the prophets. But you message is not of the same fruit of the spirit.

All these prophets said, go to God first. Return to him. And they were all angry men. They showed love, but by their stern words. They brought a message of dire consequences if they didn't. Yet your message is of the gospel of love and not to judge. Yet all the prophets brought judgement. You yourself have judged the present testament (as you perceive it).

So you are writing in the spirit of the prophets? They told of doom. You are condemning their message. That is not their spirit. Their spirit said repent and return to God. Your message is love every one.

Satan is my only true enemy. I don't love him. I hate him. I love to humilate him and I love to be mean to him. I show no compassion to him and I go out of my way to embarrase and hurt him. How about you?

 

[FHII]

So now I want to ask some questions.... I'm on board with this Gospel of Love. How do I do it?

Who do I show love to? What actions do I do? Should I give to charity? Should I help old ladies across the street? What can I do to show love?

Should I tell Fire 7 that the law is wrong and homosexuality is ok? Should I lie?

Should I just be nice to everyone? I actually already to that.... I look for reasons to complement people to make them feel good. Just a pesonal thing with me.... but is being nice to people going to bring me salvation?

I've met lots of nice muslem and Buddhists. I've also met athiests and agnostics who are nice.... Funny thing is most of them are democrats. No matter, but they believe in human kindness. They are pretty nice people and promote charity.

Are they saved because of that? They don't believe in Jesus Christ. They may acknowledge he lived. But they don't acknowledge he is God. They are nice people and are nice to people.... They give to charity too. Are they saved or are they damned?

I like them, but are they my neighbor and my brethren?

 

[Prentis]

Did Jesus speak well or ill of the good samaritan?

The good samaritan is no saint, but he is righteous, he loves his neighbor. God gives salvation, and he decides who receives it, not us.

Christians today are so worried about salvation, we aren't called to salvation, we're called to glory! We are to called to walk in the power and life of Christ! Trying to figure out if you're saved or not is trying to save your own life... That's what most of Christianity is doing... And yet Christ says you must LOSE your life.

If a man never has a revelation of Christ, is he accountable for that revelation? To who little is given much is required? If a man does good in the capacity that he has, and has mercy on others, will God punish him for that? No. To those who give life, he gives life.

But as Christians we have a higher calling, to glory and sainthood.